Apple continues testing iOS 26, releasing the seventh beta construct to builders on August 18, Monday. That is the third consecutive beta from the corporate in three weeks.
In contrast to the previous couple of beta builds, iOS 26 beta 7 doesn’t pack any main modifications. Take a look at every little thing new within the construct under.
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 beta 7: What’s new and altered
Adaptive Energy Notifications
iOS 26 beta 7 provides a brand new Adaptive Energy Notifications toggle underneath Settings > Battery > Energy Mode. If enabled, you’ll get a notification each time your iPhone makes use of the Adaptive Energy Mode to increase battery life underneath load.
In iOS 26 Beta 7, there’s now a toggle for Adaptive Energy Notifications underneath Settings → Battery → Energy Mode. pic.twitter.com/E5u9ZpZmgS
— Beta Profiles (@BetaProfiles) August 18, 2025
Adaptive Energy Mode is just out there on iPhone 15 Professional and newer fashions.
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 beta 6: What’s new and altered
New Ringtones
iOS 26 beta 6 incorporates six new ringtones: Buoyant, Dreamer, Pop, Mirrored, Tech, Little Chook and Surge. Nearly all of them are variations of the prevailing “Reflection” ringtone. Solely Little Chook is an authentic ringtone; “Mirrored” had the placeholder identify “Alt 1” in earlier betas.
A seventh new ringtone, this one is a brand new authentic one known as Little Chook pic.twitter.com/0O5bcIhwGf
— Aaron (@aaronp613) August 11, 2025
Digicam mode switcher modifications once more
iOS 26 beta 6 modifications how the digital camera mode switcher works but once more. Scrolling by digital camera modes now works because it did in iOS 18 and earlier than, the place swiping your finger strikes the mode dial, relatively than the choice bubble. It now behaves just like the “Basic Mode Switching” setting that was in beta 5.
Nevertheless, the choice to decide on the way it works is gone. It appears Apple has determined that Basic Mode Switching is the way it ought to work for everybody. Maybe the setting was solely there for person testing.
Sooner app opening animations
The most recent iOS 26 beta introduces new app opening and shutting animations which are noticeably quicker, making your complete UI really feel extra responsive.
iOS 26 Beta 6 new app opening / closing animation and velocity pic.twitter.com/bnWu0z76I6
— Ben Geskin (@BenGeskin) August 11, 2025
Extra Liquid Glass tweaks
iOS 26 beta 6 makes Liquid Glass extra outstanding, including it for toggles, Notification Summaries and different UI parts.
With the iOS 26 beta cycle nearly coming to an finish, don’t count on future builds to include any main Liquid Glass modifications.
New onboarding video
Apple is including the ultimate touches to iOS 26 for its public launch in September. The latest beta provides an introductory video highlighting the modifications Liquid Glass introduces. It seems while you first improve to the OS.
iOS 26 beta 6 encompasses a model new startup sequence not seen earlier than! Completely lovely. pic.twitter.com/1Sx2TjiVkW
— Noah (@itsnoahd) August 11, 2025
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 beta 5: What’s new and altered
Basic Mode Switching in Digicam app

Picture: Rajesh Pandey/Cult Of Mac
The revamped Digicam app in iOS 26 modifications how you turn between digital camera modes. Beforehand, swiping left moved you to the mode on the appropriate.
iOS 26 modifications that by making the digital camera change to the mode in the identical course you swipe. Should you don’t like this conduct, iOS 26 beta 5 provides a Basic Mode Switching choice, reversing “the scroll course of mode switching.” You may allow it from Settings > Digicam.
Replace: Apple eliminated this toggle in iOS 26 beta 6.
New AirDrop icon

Photograph: Rajesh Pandey/Cult Of Mac
The latest beta introduces a extra Liquid Glass-y AirDrop icon within the Share Sheet.
New Lock Display passcode animation
iOS 26 beta 5 encompasses a new passcode animation on the Lock Display. Whereas a small change, it seems to be quite a bit sleeker.
iOS 26 beta 5 provides a brand new animation to the passcode display pic.twitter.com/ZO54DZokA9
— Aaron (@aaronp613) August 5, 2025
Splash display for system apps

Photograph: Rajesh Pandey/Cult Of Mac
As iOS 26 nears its public launch, Apple has begun including a splash display highlighting the modifications to its system apps. Beta 5 provides a splash display to Apple Music, Notes and Freeform apps.
Refreshed low battery Dynamic Island notification
iOS 26 beta 5 revamps the low battery Dynamic Island notification. The brand new design seems to be quite a bit sleeker than the iOS 18 model. Likewise, there’s a brand new pop-up for Sport Mode as properly.

Photograph: Reddit
Glassier Dock

Picture: Rajesh Pandey/Cult Of Mac
A minor tweak, however iOS 26 beta 5 makes the Residence Display Dock thicker and glassier.
At all times seen Menu Bar on exterior shows
When related to an exterior show, iPadOS 26 beta 5 at all times shows the Menu Bar inside an app (through @Stroughtonsmith). Apple has added a brand new “Swipe to Reveal Menu Bar” toggle within the Multitasking & Gestures menu, permitting you to swipe down from the highest middle of the display to disclose the Menu Bar.
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 beta 4: What’s new and altered
Liquid Glass is again

Photograph: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac
Apple gave its new Liquid Glass design a extra frosted look in iOS 26 beta 3 to enhance readability. However this additionally made the design really feel much less liquid-y. The most recent iOS 26 beta modifications this and provides extra transparency to UI parts.
Darker Lock Display background
If you scroll by notifications on the Lock Display in iOS 26 beta 4, the background robotically darkens to enhance readability. This small tweak ought to make a giant distinction in on a regular basis use.
Huge enchancment to notifications in iOS 26 beta 4!
On the Lock Display, the background now dims as you’re scrolling by notifications pic.twitter.com/IRuHusNMvB
— Apple Hub (@theapplehub) July 23, 2025
Notification Summaries return to Information apps

Photograph: Ed HardyCult of Mac
Following criticism for producing incorrect AI summaries, Apple nuked notification summaries for information and leisure class apps with iOS 18.3. With iOS 26 beta 4, the corporate prompts customers to allow the characteristic, seemingly for testing functions and to assemble suggestions.
When your iPhone or iPad restarts after putting in the newest iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 beta, a immediate will seem asking you to allow notification summaries for various app classes, together with Information & Leisure.
New Digicam splash display and tweaks

Photograph: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac
Opening the Digicam app in iOS 26 beta 4 brings up a splash display explaining how the simplified digital camera structure works.
In earlier betas, after opening the digital camera, the mode picker could be expanded — hiding the digital camera roll and digital camera flip button for a second or two. That is now not the case in beta 4; the buttons to the aspect are seen immediately.
The digital camera mode picker has one other change: it scrolls the other means. Swiping your finger to the appropriate spins it to the left. That is, inexplicably, the other of how scrolling works in all places else on the iPhone.
Up to date system icons
The brand new iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe betas change the system icons of exterior drives and disks with a lighter look and fewer perspective.
iOS 26 Beta 4 modifications : The visible fashion for drive icons has been up to date to the brand new Liquid Glass / macOS Tahoe fashion. pic.twitter.com/gQZPeaZhDp
— Steve Moser (@SteveMoser) July 22, 2025
Name screening choices

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iOS 26 Beta 4 introduces further Name Screening choices within the Telephone app for screening unknown callers. So, you’ll be able to determine between “By no means” screening unknown callers, “Ask Motive for Calling,” or “Silence” calls from unsaved numbers.
New wallpapers and themes
iOS 26 beta 4 provides 12 new CarPlay wallpapers, together with darkish and light-weight variations. The default iOS 26 wallpaper additionally has a brand new Dynamic choice, with totally different colours all through the day.
iOS 26 beta 4 provides 12 new CarPlay wallpapers!
See thread for all of them:
Blue (Darkish/Gentle)
Brown (Darkish/Gentle) pic.twitter.com/OTH9VZCwmz— Aaron (@aaronp613) July 22, 2025
The replace additionally removes some present wallpaper choices, although.
Late Evening Mode will get a reputation change

Screenshot: Rajesh PandeyCult Of Mac
Beta 4 renames the “Late Evening Mode” choice in Settings > Sounds and Haptics to “Scale back Loud Sounds.” An outline under particulars what the characteristic does: lowering audio quantity and vary and creating softer sound results.
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 beta 3: What’s new and altered
A extra frosted Liquid Glass design

Screenshot: Rajesh Pandey
iOS 26 beta 3 considerably tones down the transparency in Liquid Glass, making parts extra frosted. This helps enhance readability, a typical grievance from iOS 26 beta testers thus far.
Apple additionally tints the lock display wallpaper on the PIN web page for higher readability.
Management Middle shade tweak

Screenshots: Rajesh Pandey
In addition to making the background frosted, iOS 26 beta 3 tweaks the colours of the Management Middle toggles, making them pop extra.
iPadOS 26 will get a macOS-like cursor
in iPadOS 26 beta 3, shake the cursor and it’ll increase in measurement, It’s a trick carried over from macOS to make the cursor simpler to see if it will get misplaced on a number of screens. pic.twitter.com/gNHBDDZhI9
— Ed Hardy (@EdFromFreelance) July 7, 2025
In macOS, should you shake the mouse, the cursor expands in measurement so you’ll be able to simply discover it. iPadOS 26 beta 3 brings the identical conduct to the iPad, with a shake growing the cursor’s measurement. With iPads lastly gaining a correct app windowing system, the shake-to-find-cursor characteristic may show helpful when juggling a number of home windows.
New Safari bookmarks menu

Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
The Safari menu that reveals your bookmarks, studying checklist and historical past is now extra expansive than earlier than. The modal pop-up fills the entire display. It has a “Not too long ago Saved” part on the prime, with wealthy hyperlink previews of stuff you’ve added to your bookmarks and studying checklist.
Extra shade choices for the inventory wallpaper

Screenshot: Rajesh PandeyCultOfMac
The most recent iOS 26 beta provides extra shade choices for the inventory wallpaper. The brand new choices embrace Shadow, Halo, and Nightfall.
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 beta 2: What’s new and altered
iOS 26 beta 2 doesn’t carry any radical modifications. It possible received’t handle each bug you reported from beta 1, both. You’ll see greater modifications arrive in developer beta 3, which also needs to be the primary public beta.
Nonetheless, iOS 26 beta 2 packs a number of modifications that enhance the general expertise.
Tweaked Management Middle blur
iOS 26 beta 2 tweaks the Management Middle blur to enhance readability. This transformation fixes a serious grievance with the primary developer beta, the place the Liquid Glass design was extensively mocked on social media. We even complained about it in our iOS 26 and Liquid Glass hands-on.
Apple fastened the Management Middle!
iOS 26 Beta 1 vs iOS 26 Beta 2 pic.twitter.com/K2bYiOZaHt
— Brandon Butch (@BrandonButch) June 23, 2025
Relocated tab button in Safari

Screenshot: Rajesh Pandey/Cult Of Mac
The brand new tab button in Safari has shifted to the underside, on the left of the handle bar in iOS 26 beta 2. Within the first beta, it was situated on the prime left, making it onerous to achieve.
Lengthy-pressing Safari’s handle bar will carry up the “Shut Tab” choice even when there’s just one tab open.
Default wallpaper reacts to gadget motion
The inventory iOS 26 wallpaper responds to your iPhone’s motion, with its parts subtly shifting as you progress the gadget.
This characteristic solely appears to be out there on newer iPhones, although.
Again and ahead buttons in Safari

Screenshot: Rajesh Pandey/Cult Of Mac
Within the first iOS 26 developer beta, Safari solely had a floating handle bar on the backside. The second beta tweaks this, including again and ahead buttons to the left of the handle bar.
New ringtone
iOS 26 developer beta 2 provides a brand new “Alt 1” ringtone. It was technically current within the first beta, albeit hidden.
That is the brand new iOS 26 beta 2 ringtone pic.twitter.com/5ZAMR2OruB
— iOS Professional (@iOS10Pro) June 24, 2025
Radio Widget for Apple Music

Screenshot: Rajesh Pandey/Cult Of Mac
There’s a brand new Reside Radio widget for Apple Music within the second iOS 26 developer beta.
Pockets good points package deal monitoring
As Apple introduced at WWDC25, the Pockets app in iOS 26 beta 2 can monitor your orders. It could possibly do that by robotically pulling the related monitoring data from the Mail app.
Improved Low Energy Mode descrption

Screenshot: Rajesh Pandey/Cult Of Mac
Apple has up to date the Low Energy Mode description in iOS 26 beta 2 to focus on what it does. The corporate now clearly mentions that the mode additionally impacts 5G, iCloud syncing, and many others.
Under is the up to date description:
“iPhone will quickly cut back some background actions, processing velocity, show refresh price and brightness, and restrict sure options resembling 5G, iCloud syncing, mail fetch, and extra.”
Settings are denser

Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
The Settings app has tighter spacing in iOS 26 beta 2. On an iPhone 16 Professional, the “Normal” merchandise now peeks above the underside of the display, whereas earlier than it was pushed offscreen.
That is an enchancment; nonetheless, spacing continues to be far more beneficiant than in iOS 18. Beforehand, you would see the highest 4 gadgets from the second group of settings: Normal, Accessibility, Motion Button, and Apple Intelligence & Siri.
Apple will begin the iOS 26 public beta testing in early July, possible alongside the third beta. You may wait till then or set up the iOS 26 developer beta in your iPhone immediately should you can’t wait to strive the brand new Liquid Glass design.